Remelluri

The Remelluri estate's origins date back to the fourteenth century when monks from the Toloño monastery founded a sanctuary and farm at the site. The monks later abandoned the area, but local hermits continued to maintain the shrine there while the Real Divisa, a local community organization, maintained the farms to accommodate the needs of pilgrims who came to pray at the sanctuary. The estate was eventually split up and sold. The modern winery was established in 1967 when Jaime Rodríguez Salis purchased the vineyards at the heart of the former estate. Since then Remelluri has been devoted to recovering the old lands of this historic estate and restoring the original vineyards.

Remelluri's vineyards are located along the slopes of the Sierra de Toloño mountains in the valleys of Valderemelluri, La Granja and Villaescusa. The vineyards here are at the highest elevation in the region, south-facing and protected from the prevailing winds and frost. It is the unique micro-climate of this area that gives the wines of Remelluri their personality.

Poor, stony soil with layers of clay help to retain freshness, while the Atlantic influence provides abundant rainfall and lower temperatures than in the rest of the region. The alternation of cool nights and hot days offers ideal conditions for proper phenolic ripening of the grapes.

Organic farming principles have always been utilized here to ensure that the wine remains true to its unique terruño. Remelluri also uses an integrated system of agriculture with great respect for the environment. Hedges and plantations are maintained and nurtured, and trees are planted to complement the vineyard, such as almond, peach, fig and above all olive trees, which also facilitate pollination of the vines, as the flowers attract bees.

After years of perfecting his craft and gaining international recognition for his winemaking abilities, Telmo Rodríguez has returned to his family winery. Telmo seeks to remain true to his family estate's vaunted history while guiding it into a bright tomorrow.

Telmo's vision of the future of the estate is centered around a focus on place. He is changing the dialog from one of aging methods, and even varietals, to one of sites. As the estate reclaims vineyard sites, Telmo is handpicking the varietals best suited to the specific microclimate of each plot. He is also refocusing on old trellis styles, such as bush vine training. All plots are vinified separately.

This place-based focus is exemplified in Remelluri's newest project: Lindes de Remelluri. Meaning "the borders of Remelluri," this wine is made from grapes grown by local farmers in the neighboring towns of San Vicente and Labastida. While the inaugural vintage was a blend of juice from these two villages, future vintages will be released as separate wines of each village. The idea is to explore the unique characteristics of each village through their wines, an idea that Telmo would like to expand to the whole of Rioja.